Not running Zeke in final possession

[OmerV]

Maybe the next carry he gains 15?

Maybe, maybe not. I'm not saying running Zeke every down would have been the wrong way to go. It's probably what I would have done. But it's not as simple as assuming he will get that many yards on those particular plays.

 

[joseephuss]

Some would. I would be saying, why the hell cant our offensive line and generational back get 10 yards when needed?

Just like when Emmitt and the Cowboys couldn't convert against Philly in the 1995 season.

 

[Doomsday101]

If Dallas ran it 3 times with Elliott many of the same people would be saying Garrett was playing conservative, playing and not to lose, has not guts and has no creativity.

Exactly, that is not to say Garrett and the coaching staff should not be question for the season in general but I think some of this is just piling on because people don't like Garrett. Frankly the coaches in this game had the team ready and played a very good game and deserve credit. This of course is one game and does not change what has taken place to this point. They must continue to get this team playing to their ability and start stringing wins together

 

[Aviano90]

Just like when Emmitt and the Cowboys couldn't convert against Philly in the 1995 season.

Yup. Just like that. I don’t blame the play call. Need to convert that.

 

[dwreck27]

I'm not sayin running Zeke every down wasn't the best way to go, but they did run him on 1st down and lost a yard. In any case, 4.5 or 7.9 doesn't come from getting 4.5 or 7.9 every run. It could be from three 1-2 yard runs and one long run. The most important thing was to either run the clock or force Philly to use it's timeouts.

Dak throws an errant pass (good chance)

Bease drops the ball(not a good chance)

Both of those causes time to stop and the eagles keep a timeout that way they dont have to do that hook and ladder maneuver and instead they can call a timeout.

You run the ball and take a shot with zeke who had been getting good yardage in between the tackles

The play you speak of was a sweep going outside

 

[OmerV]

Dak throws an errant pass (good chance)

Bease drops the ball(not a good chance)

Both of those causes time to stop and the eagles keep a timeout that way they dont have to do that hook and ladder maneuver and instead they can call a timeout.

You run the ball and take a shot with zeke who had been getting good yardage in between the tackles

The play you speak of was a sweep going outside

I'm not saying it was the right call, just saying that the OP comment about not having run Zeke at all was not correct. But I suppose I understand the call (the run outside, not the pass). I assume they felt Philly would be stacking the interior line, and probably saw that on the field, so they hoped a run outside would give them a chance for a longer run and possible first down. As for the pass, I've said before that I question that a bit. It was a high percentage pass, but the consequences if for any reason it fell incomplete may not have been worth doing it because it was vital they force Philly to use its timeouts.

 

[85Cowboy85]

The goal was primarily to make the Eagles use their timeouts. It worked fine, they stayed in bounds and didn't take any penalties.

Converting would have been the icing on the cake. There was so little time left and the Eagles were down by 7. They would have needed a miracle even if we decided to kneel down 3 times.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Look at Zekes YPC on stacked boxes?

Thats showing 4.5 yards/carry

That night zeke was averaging 7.9 yards/carry

Do the math... you hit the run 3 times 4.5 or 7.9 yards/carry and guess what you get a first down...

that's a different situation. different defensive scheme. different times in the game. there was no way in hell zeke was going to gain anything against that front... so the averages thing is meaningless. we ran a play, lost three yards. would have ended up with exactly the same results, losing a couple of yards each time..... football is not based on averages in a game...its based on down distance, situation, time on the clock etc..... read football 101, then come argue, until then you are nothing but a statistician

and guess whaT math genius...he did run on first down and lost 3 yards. so two more downs, still wouldn't make it..... and specially in that situation in that offensive formation, against that defense...

sorry, you must be new to football..so I give you the benefit of doubt....

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Maybe, maybe not. I'm not saying running Zeke every down would have been the wrong way to go. It's probably what I would have done. But it's not as simple as assuming he will get that many yards on those particular plays.

I agree with you....we would not have gained 15 yards like the poster you responded to said.....agains that defense, in that situation. Zeke gained those yards in the game, because there was threat of a pass and they had to defend both the pass and the run and the defense was spread....these guys just like to ***** about Garrett and had to find something to complain about......

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Dak throws an errant pass (good chance)

Bease drops the ball(not a good chance)

Both of those causes time to stop and the eagles keep a timeout that way they dont have to do that hook and ladder maneuver and instead they can call a timeout.

You run the ball and take a shot with zeke who had been getting good yardage in between the tackles

The play you speak of was a sweep going outside

if he runs to the middle of that defense three times, he gains no yards. impossible to go for 15 in that tight defensive formation....the first down, lost 3 yards...so you know you have to cause them use three timeouts....leave them as little time and if possible convert a first down....run wasn't;t going to do it in that situation. impossible.... so you try a safe pass, a screen pass, and maybe the WR breaks a tackle, but if not, its like a long hand off

and if Dak misses that pass, then great.... Dak, you arse is fired. you are on the bench if you can not complete a simple screen pass in a critical situation. QBs get paid to make plays when it counts and when its important....so you trust your QB to execute a very simple play call.....a low risk play call. the worst case is they don't call a time out, and same amount of time on the clock....

you run the ball with zeke, like first down...you lose three yards. second down. zero yards. third down zero yards...you punt.....the defensive alignment was tight in the middle. like the offensive formation....and couple of players on the edge just in case to contain the outside run.....

the play sequence was executed perfectly. took a little time off the clock. and forced Philly to use their timeouts...

and Garrett who half the Garrett haters ***** about took a small calculated risk....we ***** , moan and complain about not going for it on 4th downs on our own 40 yard line....and we complain why he didn't;'t run zeke into a 10 man stacked front from a tight offensive formation!!!

 

[buybuydandavis]

everyone calls out garrett for not gambling on 4th downs and not taking enough gambles...now, he is getting called because of it....it wasn't a contested pass down field....its like a long hand off, safe pass.....I think it was a good call actually...instead of predictably running to the middle of the line and philly calling a TO....

Wrong. I personally was disgusted that the offense didn't do more, and instead yet again, literally punted and left the game up to the defense.

I was responding to the claim that they just wanted to burn timeouts. You don't pass if that's what you're interested in.

In terms of the play calling, those handoffs to Zeke were making 8 yards a pop. Trying those instead of getting cute with Beasley was the better bet in this game. They're pressing the LOS. Calling that kind of screen is asking for a defender to jump the route. We've had that happen before on a WR screen to Beasley.

They're the worst.

 

[morat1959]

I won't be too hard on them for this game. The plan was to get them to use 3 timeouts.......they did that.

Just like Clapper did in the first half with lots of time left in the half. This coaching staff is pathetic!

 

[408Cowboy]

No people are saying what they would have called yet I have seen other teams in the same situations where they throw the quick pass and it is not considered a bad call. I get it many do not like Garrett but when people question every single thing as some how making a point get to be a bit much. He did not have them make a down field throw he had the QB throw a high percentage quick pass to the outside given the defensive formation Philly was showing with the sole purpose of stopping Zeke.

I'll question his clock management until he fixes it or gets fired. Win or lose.

 

[rpntex]

This. Zeke was eating all day against stacked boxes. Force Philly to stop him and, if they do, tip your hat to them.

It's like the coaching staff has no situational awareness. Take the New England game in 2011 for example. We have the ball late in the 4th and run 3 straight times before punting. The team couldn't run the ball effectively all day but rely on it to burn NE timeouts. There was too much time left on the clock for NE to even care about having timeouts for their offense. We needed to get a first down instead of playing it safe in that game, against that offense, with our defense.

Philadelphia wasn’t stacking the box most of the game. The safeties we’re helping on the outside against Cooper from about midway through the second quarter. Zeke did the majority of his damage in the second half, primarily running against a 7 - man box. That last series, however, the Eagles head nine man within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. They were looking for Zeke to take it between the tackles. The first two places that position we’re good calls against such a defense. They just didn’t work out, that’s all.

 

[Doomsday101]

I'll question his clock management until he fixes it or gets fired. Win or lose.

You can question what you want but in this instance I see nothing wrong with the play calling, telling me Zeke ran for x number yards up to that point means nothing giving the situation and defensive front they were running in that situation. Saying what if it was incomplete? it was high percentage throw and catch, but if you want to say what if what if Zeke fumbles?

 

[Carter]

what would you have done, with that much time left and philly having three time outs?

Run Zeke three times to get the first down.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Wrong. I personally was disgusted that the offense didn't do more, and instead yet again, literally punted and left the game up to the defense.

I was responding to the claim that they just wanted to burn timeouts. You don't pass if that's what you're interested in.

In terms of the play calling, those handoffs to Zeke were making 8 yards a pop. Trying those instead of getting cute with Beasley was the better bet in this game. They're pressing the LOS. Calling that kind of screen is asking for a defender to jump the route. We've had that happen before on a WR screen to Beasley.

They're the worst.

yes, that was part of the strategy....thinking ahead...if I can't get the first down, then lets make sure I don't leave them any timeouts and make it a shorter game.....yes, they wanted to pass, but instead of a riskier pass and chance of incompletion, go with something safer, with a chance to gain yards and make sure if it doesn't work, then they have to burn their timeouts....that screen pass worked prior in the game, to gallup and couple of times to zeke. so it wasn't as if they hadn't done it or executed it before....

and those handoffs, gained in the middle of the game....I have explained it a 100 times but you are just so focused on your stat line...you don't call plays based on statistics, those run came when there was threat of the pass, in 2,3 WR sets...and different point in the game, different situation, more time on the clock, etc..... where they had to defend the pass and the run......and again and again and again and again.... they did run on first down...same dang formation that you calim they continuously gained 8 yards and they lost 3.... see the formation. see the defense. see the play....

no they aren't the worst...you are clueless...that's hwat happens when you use a spreadsheet to calculate what play to run next..... suggestion, buy a couple of football books, read up and educate yourself....

done

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Run Zeke three times to get the first down.

first down. he lost 3 yards....next.....

 

[Aviano90]

first down. he lost 3 yards....next.....

He lost 1 yard, not 3. We lost 4 yards on the play that the coaching staff is being defended for.

 

[Aviano90]

Philadelphia wasn’t stacking the box most of the game. The safeties we’re helping on the outside against Cooper from about midway through the second quarter. Zeke did the majority of his damage in the second half, primarily running against a 7 - man box. That last series, however, the Eagles head nine man within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. They were looking for Zeke to take it between the tackles. The first two places that position we’re good calls against such a defense. They just didn’t work out, that’s all.

Good call. I've been claiming for 2 years Zeke doesn't run against stacked boxes as often as people make it seem like. I've been unsuccessful in that attempt. So, I lazily just parroted the same thing most people do in this thread...Zeke running against stacked boxes. Nice call out.